The 10 Craziest Reality Shows You Can Stream Right Now

Reality TV offers a very specific service to the world of entertainment. When it’s good, it has the potential to bring our nation together around one show or episode — an impressive feat when most people stick to their preferred television lanes. When it’s bad, it’s hard to find a better hate-binge.

Because there’s also a shocking amount of reality TV in the world, there are expectedly a lot of weird shows. From surprisingly educational travel shows to a show entirely about puppies, I combed through the world of reality TV to find the craziest competitions and docu-series available on streaming. Some shows are surprising because of their concept or because no one is talking about them. Others, like Ax Men, are just a never-ending dive into insanity. No matter what your tolerance for weird reality TV is, you should be able to find something to binge (or adamantly hate-binge) on this list.

‘The American Bible Challenge’

Photo: Game Show Network

The annoying part about memorizing a text dedicated to spiritual guidance is that there are no cool game shows where you can flaunt your moral superiority. Just kidding. There’s one. Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, The American Bible Challenge pits three teams to against each other as they compete in Biblically-themed challenges. Keeping in line with the show’s theme, successful teams win money for their favorite charities. There are certainly worse game shows out there, but the idea of a Bible-themed competition is surprising, especially when it comes from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? executive producer Michael Davies.

‘Up to Speed’

Photo: Everett Collection

There are few things more addictively soothing than a good travel show, and Hulu has an all-star one you’ve likely never heard of. Hosted by Timothy “Speed” Levitch and directed by the legendary Richard Linklater, Up to Speed dives into six different cities, giving a tour of each you wouldn’t get from a regular tour guide. It’s a fun show, but what makes it remarkable is that there’s a reality show from the director of Boyhood that no one knows about. How weird is that?

‘Ultimate Beastmaster’

Photo: Netflix

Did you know that Netflix had an international competition show? And that said show is an incredible binge watch? They do and it is. Sort of like Ultimate Warrior, the worldwide series features teams from six different countries —United States, South Korea, Mexico, Japan, Germany, and Brazil. Even cooler, each team has its own specialized version of the series, complete with international hosts, comedians, and celebrities. It’s a whirlwind of everything that makes competitive reality TV great but on a global level.

‘Big Fan’

Photo: ABC

If you think you’re the biggest admirer of a celebrity, now is your chance to prove it. The ABC show, which premiered in January of 2017, pits one obsessive contestant against their favorite celebrity of all time. Through a series of trivia questions, the show uncovers who knows more about famous people — actual famous people or their fans? It’s a game show that’s an ultimate extension of our celebrity-obsessed culture, which is a fancy way of saying it’s simultaneously terrifying and addicting to watch.

‘The Skinny Dip’

Photo: Travel + Escape

Eve Kelly really loves to skinny dip, and she wants you to love it too. The Canadian reality series follows Kelly as she explores some of the world’s greatest, most relaxing, and most exotic swimming destinations. Clothing is optional, of course. It’s a series that could easily dive into scandalous waters, but Kelly is so passionate about skinny dipping, it’s weirdly sweet.

‘Tanked’

Photo: Animal Planet

We already have shows about the competitive world of fashion design, professional baking, and cooking, but do you know what niche industry needs more love? Aquarium design. Tanked follows two indoor fish experts as they design some of the biggest and most intricate fish tanks from around the world. It’s not the best reality show out there, but just like HGTV’s limitless range of home design shows and all of those Storage Wars, you’ll soon find yourself pulled into an elaborate professional world you never knew existed.

‘That Awkward Game Show’

Photo: Spike

You couldn’t pay most people to swap sex stories with their parents. However, the contestants on this Spike game show dive into the world of embarrassing conversations just for the chance to win money. To win That Awkward Game Show, you have to lose whatever respect you had for your parent or child as you both ask probing personal questions. It’s like the worst elements of Thanksgiving break but sober and on television.

‘Skin Wars’

Photo: Game Show Network

What makes Skin Wars crazy isn’t its premise. It’s the fact that so many people are incredibly talented at this niche art form. The competition show follows 12 contestants as they compete in weekly body painting challenges for the chance to win $100,000. Hosted by Rebecca Romijn and featuring RuPaul as a judge, Skin Wars may start by making you say “WTF” but I dare you not to get hooked.

‘Ax Men’

Photo: History

There’s already Yukon Gold is you’re looking for a show about gold mining, Ice Road Truckers if you need a show about driving through ice, and Deadliest Catch if you’re craving a show about fishing. But there’s another surprisingly extreme profession out there that needs our TV-watching attention — logging. Just like every other extreme job series, Ax Men will lure you in by making you question how difficult logging can be. However, by hour three of your binge, you’ll be more than able to answer that question, and you’ll have countless insane logging stories to boot.

‘Puppy Days’

Photo: Nat Geo WILD

This Nat Geo WILD show is by far the cutest one on the list. The reality program follows six new puppies as they acclimate to their human families. That’s all there is to this show — watching puppies stumble around and being hugged by excited children. There’s no high or low stakes drama. There are just puppies, which should be a selling point all on its own.